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Grayling fishing and bug collecting at Nome Creek
It's been a busy year, and this is the first time I've been out fly fishing. My wife and I drove up to Nome Creek for a couple hours, looking for some easy action on small grayling, and it did not disappoint. I was still threading the line up through my guides when I heard her calling from the stream with a grayling on her fly. I told her that since she got the first fly-caught fish of the year, she can officially wear her I outfish my husband! merchandise now.
I also collected some nymphs for the site for the first time in a few years, including several mature Ephemerella aurivillii nymphs. Our dog Taiga had not experienced kick-netting before, but she decided to try to be as helpful as she could, imitating me by walking in front of the net and pawing at the water. The collection was very successful.
Photos by Troutnut from Nome Creek in Alaska
The first fish on a fly of 2011 for either of us, and she caught it while I was still rigging up my rod.
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
My first good-sized grayling of the year, and the biggest I've seen in this creek, about 15-16 inches.
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon EOS 20D
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
Inspecting the net with my intrepid sidekick.
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
This is the first time I've kicknetted bugs since we got Taiga, and she turns out to be so very helpful.
StateAlaska
LocationNome Creek
Date TakenJul 10, 2011
Date AddedJul 12, 2011
AuthorTroutnut
CameraCanon PowerShot D10
Closeup insects by Troutnut from Nome Creek in Alaska
Male Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly Spinner
View 15 PicturesThis spinner molted from a dun after being photographed, and the dun form is listed here as a separate specimen. I've rarely found a more cooperative and photogenic mayfly.
View 15 PicturesThis spinner molted from a dun after being photographed, and the dun form is listed here as a separate specimen. I've rarely found a more cooperative and photogenic mayfly.Male Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly Dun
View 14 PicturesThis is the most widespread species of Ephemerella, and also the most abundant in some places, but nobody I've talked to seemed to know what its duns looked like, and there were no pictures of its duns online or in any angling books. That mystery is solved with this male dun, which hatched from a definitively identified nymph.
View 14 PicturesThis is the most widespread species of Ephemerella, and also the most abundant in some places, but nobody I've talked to seemed to know what its duns looked like, and there were no pictures of its duns online or in any angling books. That mystery is solved with this male dun, which hatched from a definitively identified nymph.Cinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly Nymph
View 9 PicturesThis nymph is almost definitely the same species as this dun, which hatched from a nearly identical nymph from the same collection.
View 9 PicturesThis nymph is almost definitely the same species as this dun, which hatched from a nearly identical nymph from the same collection.Heptagenia pulla (Golden Dun) Mayfly Nymph
View 8 PicturesLike most Alaskan mayflies, this one is tricky to identify to the species level. See the discussion section for an informative chat about this one's ID. The current leaning is to call it a fairly immature Heptagenia pulla nymph, but a case has been made for Heptagenia elegantula as well.
View 8 PicturesLike most Alaskan mayflies, this one is tricky to identify to the species level. See the discussion section for an informative chat about this one's ID. The current leaning is to call it a fairly immature Heptagenia pulla nymph, but a case has been made for Heptagenia elegantula as well.Female Cinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly Dun
View 7 PicturesThis dun is almost certainly of the same species as this nymph, as it hatched in my cooler from a nearly identical nymph.
View 7 PicturesThis dun is almost certainly of the same species as this nymph, as it hatched in my cooler from a nearly identical nymph.Male Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly Dun
View 9 PicturesThis dun hatched in my aquarium on July 16th from an easily identified nymph collected on July 10th, and it molted into a spinner after I photographed it. The beautiful spinner form is listed as separate specimen. I forgot to photograph the dun with the ruler, but naturally his size is pretty similar to what it was as a spinner.
View 9 PicturesThis dun hatched in my aquarium on July 16th from an easily identified nymph collected on July 10th, and it molted into a spinner after I photographed it. The beautiful spinner form is listed as separate specimen. I forgot to photograph the dun with the ruler, but naturally his size is pretty similar to what it was as a spinner.Female Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly Dun
View 5 PicturesThis dun hatched out in my aquarium from this nymph.
View 5 PicturesThis dun hatched out in my aquarium from this nymph.
Male Cinygmula ramaleyi (Small Western Gordon Quill) Mayfly Dun
View 8 PicturesThis dun hatched out from a nymph in my aquarium on July 16th, after being collected July 10th. It is probably of the same species as this nymph, and this dun which also hatched from one of these seemingly identical nymphs.
View 8 PicturesThis dun hatched out from a nymph in my aquarium on July 16th, after being collected July 10th. It is probably of the same species as this nymph, and this dun which also hatched from one of these seemingly identical nymphs.
Ephemerella aurivillii Mayfly Nymph
View 5 PicturesThis nymph hatched out in my aquarium into this dun.
View 5 PicturesThis nymph hatched out in my aquarium into this dun.Most recent comments on this post (latest on top)
| Entoman | July 20th, 2011, 12:53 am | |
 Posts: 2604 | I am serious though that I'm going to "reel" myself in a bit and stop nugging in to quality conversations with trivia...If I truely need to "step-out" I'll start a new thread... It will take a lot of the fun out of these threads if you do. Kurt | |
| "It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman | ||
| Oldredbarn | July 19th, 2011, 4:56 pm | |
 Posts: 2608 | Kurt, I am charged with watching over other folk's dough...Today I spent a large part of my time taking care of my annual compliance stuff that I have to do to maintain my securities lic's etc...Real fun stuff, eh!? The DOW went north by 200+ points...No problem there... I guess I was bored mister and made a feeble attempt to entertain myself... Thanks for helping me maintain some sanity here buddy! :) I am serious though that I'm going to "reel" myself in a bit and stop nugging in to quality conversations with trivia...If I truely need to "step-out" I'll start a new thread... But thanks again! | |
| "Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood | ||
| Entoman | July 19th, 2011, 2:42 pm | |
Posts: 2604 | "...spending much time with a rod in your hand..." This is just too easy ;) Ha Ha. :):) Wow, I walked into that one! Reminds me of "Happy Gilmore." Remember the bar scene after the first round of golf? The antagonist Shooter McSomething tells Happy, "I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!", to which Happy replied, "So... You eat shit for breakfast?" Very good Spence... Very good.:) Semper pax, Kurt | |
| "It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman | ||
| Oldredbarn | July 19th, 2011, 2:20 pm | |
Posts: 2608 | That is a dastardly accusation without merit! Proof? We enjoy (put up with) your random musings in the middle of our "scientific" hobnobbery. Oh, and don't think your comment about us "scientific types" not spending much time with a rod in hand went unnoticed... Perfidious slander!:) Ouch! What ya going to do tough guy? Throw your latest copy of "J-NABS" at my head...;) There are some fine grains of truth in your remark...I know I'm in the middle of it all here, but I think this goes to my argument a bit...If I wasn't in the middle of this I'd never get your attention...You boys are in your own world...I am just saying all power to the females in your lives for somehow pulling it off! "...spending much time with a rod in your hand..." This is just too easy ;) and if the ladies hadn't worked their magic this would be your only alternative...Me thinks :) Ok, ok! That was fun...I'll behave myself...Promise! Let's you and I Kurt call a truce ;) and I'll stop before we push this thread in to another page! I will try my best to limit my "dastardliness" (is that a word?) and won't interupt when the adults are speaking...O-Tay Buckwheat?! Being serious...Let us hope that our wives never get together as a group and swap info...We will be toast! The "Nerder Birder" signing off. | |
| "Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively "Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood | ||
| Entoman | July 19th, 2011, 1:43 pm | |
Posts: 2604 | Lloyd -Yes, Jason moved the two large specimens that I had questioned (#483 & #484) from needhami to aurivillii. Ah.. thanks. I got lost putting it together somewhere around Jason's "stegosaurus" post.:) Knew I missed something, now my head is clear. Thanks also for the clarification on the tubercles and including an actual quote from the scientific lit. The specimens of aurivillii in my neck of the woods (or ones I've seen anywhwere for that matter) look like striped dorothea infrequens without discernible tubercles, even when using hand held magnification. It looks like head/pronotum shape and overall size are the most dependable? Spence - ...but I can't understand the absolute lack of romanticism of you bunch of "Nerds"! :) That is a dastardly accusation without merit! Proof? We enjoy (put up with) your random musings in the middle of our "scientific" hobnobbery. Oh, and don't think your comment about us "scientific types" not spending much time with a rod in hand went unnoticed... Perfidious slander!:) Kurt | |
| "It's not that I find fishing so important, it's just that I find all other endeavors of Man equally unimportant... And not nearly as much fun!" Robert Traver, Anatomy of a Fisherman | ||
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